The standard has shifted for the Patriots.
Entering 2025, most thought head coach Mike Vrabel’s team would be lucky to sneak into the playoffs. 10 weeks into the season, New England is tied for the best record and longest win streak in the NFL. This new regime and roster are still very much in their infancy, and the team is far from perfect, but the Patriots have consistently shown the kind of resilience that playoff contenders are made of.
Much like last week, New England allowed a fierce defense and clutch quarterback to stay in the game late. But once again, they made the plays it needed to and pulled out another close win against a playoff-caliber opponent.
Josh McDaniels‘ offense was mostly a liablility rushing and inconsistent throwing, but key contributions from rookies and some efforts from Drake Maye made the difference.
Zak Kuhr’s defense allowed another opening drive touchdown after bucking that trend last week, but largely buttoned up after that and held off a comeback attempt against fourth quarter king Baker Mayfield.
While the Patriots must turn the page and make some crucial adjustments on a short week, this was another convincing win that proves this 2025 team is for real.
Wide Receivers
It was an up-and-down day for the Patriots’ passing game, but the wide receiver group was ultra-reliable when called upon.
Mack Hollins recorded his first 100-yard game with New England. He moved the chains multiple times, and he caught Maye’s only deep completion of the day off of a well-run double-move and impressive throw.
This is insane @DrakeMaye2
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/Rarg60PjaQ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 9, 2025
Hollins also made himself available on a wild third-down conversion with Maye throwing from a collapsing pocket.
DRAKE. MAYE. IN THE POCKET.@DrakeMaye2 | @mackhollins
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/BPye6SrJoL
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 9, 2025
Stefon Diggs only had 46 yards on five catches and eight targets, but he caught two of Maye’s first completions, drew a defensive pass interference, and made an incredible toe-tap grab on 4th & goal before halftime to set up an eventual double-dip. Diggs also caught the onside kick that sealed the game.
THIS IS ELITEEEEE
📺 CBS https://t.co/F99ASvyHdk pic.twitter.com/nfzennGoNv
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 9, 2025
DeMario Douglas also made the most of his opportunities, turning one of his two targets into 26 yards following a clutch 3rd & 7 throw from Maye.
Pop moves the chains on 3rd down ➡️@DrakeMaye2 | @popshotta3
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/WthwlqWxkV
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 9, 2025
Rookie Skill Players
TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams have had relatively quiet starts to their careers, but both rookies made game-changing plays with their elite speed.
Williams scored the Patriots’ first points of the game, exploding for 72 yards on a 13-yard catch. According to Next Gen Stats, the receiver’s 21.78 MPH top speed was the fastest for a rookie ball-carrier this season and the seventh-fastest for any ball-carrier this season.
Pats rookie WR Kyle Williams takes off for a 72-yard score!
NEvsTB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2iQpcxOXe3
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
Henderson was responsible for New England’s third touchdown, exploiting a crease behind Morgan Moses, Hunter Hery, and Hollins before outrunning the Buccaneers’ defense for a 55-yard score. Henderson hit a max speed of 22.01 MPH, quickly topping Williams for the fastest touch by a rookie and recording this season’s fifth-fastest carry for any ball-carrier.
Watch that boy GOOOOOO!@TreVeyonH4 | #NEPats
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/7sb9b3eQ92
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 9, 2025
One quarter later, Henderson helped put the game away by keeping his balance on a toss and taking off for a 69-yard score down the left sideline.
TreVeyon Henderson hit a top speed of 21.38 MPH on his second 50+ yard TD of the day, per @NextGenStats 🔥
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— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) November 9, 2025
The speedy back also gained 16 yards on a 3rd & 9 toss early in the game, foreshadowing his explosive performance. Obviously, more consistent performances from each rookie would be ideal moving forward, but this was a big step in the right direction for both young playmakers.
Pass Rush
The pass rush came up clutch in big moments, recording two sacks and coming one desperate fourth-down heave from a third.
K’Lavon Chaisson was disruptive throughout the game, recording a sack and causing a quick pressure on Mayfield’s last dropback.
DEFENSE WITH THE STOP 🛑
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/NsjYcA9eFX
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 9, 2025
Rookie Elijah Ponder flashed his potential against All-Pro Tristan Wirfs, notching his first career sack off a quick win and high-effort play from the right side.
Elijah Ponder:
-beats Tristan Wirfs
-gets held (uncalled)
-can't tackle Baker Mayfield but drives him up in the pocket
-keeps going from his place on the turf
-finally gets the sack he deserves pic.twitter.com/9vyfJkAYVA
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 9, 2025
Fellow edge rusher Harold Landry and defensive tackles Milton Williams, Khyiris Tonga, and Cory Durden were also noticeable getting after the passer.
Run Blocking
The Patriots’ three explosives–which did feature some encouraging blocks–masked an overall dreadful performance from the ground game.
Top backs Henderson and Terrell Jennings combined for six run stuffs on 18 carries, with each stuff coming on carries to the left. Henderson was also tackled for losses of four and two yards in the fourth quarter, and he had three runs in the first half go for no gain.
If the Patriots want to make a serious playoff push, they must be more consistent on the ground and keep Maye from having to win on his own.
Run Defense
The Patriots’ run defense had its worst performance of the season despite facing a battered Buccaneers ground game. It was also the second time in as many weeks that backs have had sizable lanes at multiple points.
Sean Tucker became the first running back to reach 50 rushing yards against New England this season, averaging 5.9 yards on nine carries. Rachaad White also had five successful carries on 10 attempts, while receivers Sterling Shepard and Kameron Johnson each had 11-yard carries.
With the ground-and-pound Jets coming to town this Thursday, the Patriots must tighten up quickly to avoid a potential rock fight against their division rival.
Coverage vs Emeka Egbuka
Emeka Egbuka only caught six of his 13 targets, but four went for gains of 20+ yards, including a 21-yard score on the Buccaneers’ first drive.
Egbuka’s touchdown was a wide-open target that marked New England’s second blown red zone coverage in as many games. Responsibility seemingly fell on Jones, who also lost Bijan Robinson in scoring territory last week.
FIRE THE CANNONS 💣💥
📺: #NEvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/zBXIJ5oBoI
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 9, 2025
Christian Gonzalez gave up three conversions to Ebguka, all while in off coverage, though he was competitive in man coverage and helped force a pair of third-down stops.
Too Many Turnover-Worthy Plays
The red zone pick came with the Patriots on the cusp of widening their lead, and it was a forced decision that could’ve handed the Buccaneers the game.
TYKEE SMITH WITH THE INT ‼️
📺: #NEvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/TWFiCbGGAP
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 9, 2025
The interception was also Maye’s second or third near-interception of the game. Winfield nearly intercepted him on a middle-field throw to Austin Hooper, and SirVocea Dennis had a third-down pass bounce right off his hands.
These plays will happen with a young gunslinger learning his limits, but Maye has put the ball in harm’s way more and more as the quality of his opponent has improved. Hopefully, he can continue learning from these lessons and begin trending in a more positive direction.
Red Zone Defense
The Buccaneers went 2-3 in the red zone, and it was 3-4 if you count Egbuka scoring from the 21-yard line.
Carlton Davis and Craig Woodson had competitive coverage on Tez Johnson’s scores, and Davis, in particular, was put in a tough spot on a scramble drill.
TEZMANIA 🙌
📺: #NEvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/NBA1UOtxHK
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 9, 2025
The defense deserves credit for being competitive on nearly all recent touchdowns allowed, but today’s lapses would’ve been more glaring if Diggs hadn’t recovered the onside kick. Outside of keeping offenses from reaching their 20-yard line, New England must find a way to tighten up in scoring territory down the stretch.